Prototype of a Computer Method for Designing and Analyzing Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Proportional, Electronic Control Systems.

The Air Force needs a better method of designing new and retrofit heating, ventilating and air conditioning HVAC control systems. Air Force engineers currently use manual designpredictverify procedures taught at the Air Force Institute of Technology, School of Civil Engineering, HVAC Control Systems course. These existing manual procedures are iterative and time-consuming. The objectives of this research were to 1 Locate and, if necessary, modify an existing computer-based method for designing and analyzing HVAC control systems that is compatible with the HVAC Control Systems manual procedures, or 2 Develop a new computer-based method of designing and analyzing HVAC control systems that is compatible with the existing manual procedures. Five existing computer packages were investigated in accordance with the first objective MODSIM for modular simulation, HVACSIM for HVAC simulation, TRNSYS for transient system simulation, BLAST for building load and system thermodynamics and Elite Building Energy Analysis Program. None were found to be compatible or adaptable to the existing manual procedures, and consequently, a prototype of a new computer method was developed in accordance with the second research objective. The prototype method developed the architecture needed to meet the manual procedure compatibility requirements and modeled three electronic components a sensor, controller, and hi signal selector. The method incorporates four programs, written in BASIC, and copies of the programs, flowcharts, and sample runs are included.